Sisters
by Siobhan1
Summary: Just like other sibling stories but with a different twist. This time it's Evelyn that has a sister, Elise. The title has been shortened, chaps. 1 and 2 replaced and chapter 5 added.
1. Sisters

I do not own any of the familiar characters.  
  
Elise Johnson stifled a yawn with the back of her hand as she pulled herself out of bed. She reached over to turn off her screeching alarm clock hoping that she had not woken her sister. Elise silently slipped into her slippers and threw on her robe and shuffled all the way down the upstairs hall to the bathroom shutting the door beind her.  
  
Evelyn Johnson had heard the alarm go off but just refused to wake up. She had spent the night tossing and turning from the sound of her younger sister's snoring. Elise refused to believe that she snored but Evelyn made sure that Elise never believed that. Evelyn opened her eyes ever so slightly but immediately shut them again when she saw the morning sun shining through cracks in the blinds. Evelyn threw her pillow over her head and buried herself in her blanket wishing that it was still night. "How come I have to share a room with her?" Evelyn grumbled as she threw back her pillow and blanket setting her feet down on the cold floor. "Whoever invented Mondays should be dragged through the streets and shot." Evelyn mumbled as she skipped heading to the bathroom and just headed down the back stairs to the kitchen and sulked while eating her breakfast.  
  
Mike Johnson reached for his tie and stood before the mirror putting it on in what would seem to an untrained professional as tieing knots that no sailor knows, yet it worked. Bending over to tie his shoes Mike heard mumbling slowly pass by the bedroom door. "Yep," he said in confirmation to no one imperticular, "it must be Monday."  
  
Katherine Johnson stood at the stove scrambling eggs in a skillet while keeping an eye on the toast. While in the middle of humming a tune with no melody she heard someone clomping down the stairs. "Someone had a rough night." She hummed to herself and looked up as a half dead looking Evelyn staggered over to the kitchen table.  
  
"Good morning sleepy head!" Katherine announced trying not to sound to cheery for a Monday morning.  
  
"Good morning dear." Mike came down the stairs and planted a peck on his wife's cheek. Mike glanced over at Evelyn as he made his way to the coffee pot. "Coffee Evelyn?" he asked even though he knew what the answer would be.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Sugar?"  
  
"Lots."  
  
"Milk?"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"A hit in the head?"  
  
"I'm not falling for that Dad." "Just trying to see if you were really awake sweetheart."  
  
"I'm awake. I just don't look it."  
  
"You could say that again." Mike said. He set down the coffee cup in front of Evelyn. She took a sip and he waited for the grimace. It came, a little delayed but it was still there. Evelyn took a spoon and scooped up the sugar that had settled at the bottom of the cup.  
  
"This is pure sugar!" Evelyn exclaimed, her face still twisted.  
  
"That's what you asked for. It woke you up didn't it?"  
  
"Yes," Evelyn sighed. "It did. Thanks Dad."  
  
"Glad to be of service." Her father replied, bowing like a butler.  
  
"Don't get cocky Dad." Evelyn said hitting her father playfully with the front page of the newspaper.  
  
"Allright children that's enough." Katherine chastisied setting down plates before Evelyn and her father.  
  
"Ev, where's Elise?" Katherine asked looking towards the stairs.  
  
"Oh she's probably staring in the mirror trying to get it to answer her. You reply you are the fairest of them all." Evelyn mocked.  
  
"She snored again didn't she?" Katherine asked from the sink.  
  
"Did she ever!"  
  
"Hey Elise hold on a second!" Evelyn yelled after her sister from the front door.  
  
"What?" Elise yelled back in an annoyed tone.  
  
"Are you going to class?"  
  
"No, I'm going to Berlin to have tea with Hitler and Mussolini. Where do you think I'm going?" Elise responded impatiently.  
  
"Can you drop me off at the hospital on your way to class?"  
  
"I thought you were working tonight."  
  
"Nope. Now come on let's go." Evelyn answered ushering Elise back towards her car. Evelyn slid into the passengers seat and was making herself comfortable while Elise was just staring out the dashboard. Evelyn looked over at her in puzzlement and waved her gloved hand in front of Elise's face to bring her out of her trance.  
  
"Oh, sorry."  
  
"Uh-huh." Elise kept staring absently.  
  
"Uh, Elise, cars are not driven on brain power. You put the key in the ingnition, turn it, and voila! It's magic!" Evelyn said sarcastically. Elise did not start the car. She dropped her hand, the key along with it, and turned to face a surprised Evelyn.  
  
"Evelyn, have you ever thought about joining the navy?" Elise asked with a curious gleam in her eyes.  
  
"A few times, yes." Evelyn said hesitantly not knowing where this conversation was going.  
  
"Well I have too."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And I was looking into it."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well, when you think about it the military is in need of nurses and private healthcare isn't as much and I just think it would be better to serve one's country when you are needed. The navy needs nurses." Evelyn couldn't help but smiling.  
  
"So it obviously has nothing to do with sailors?"  
  
"Well. . .," Elise said slowly, carefully choosing her words. "That may have been part of it."  
  
"Aha!"  
  
"Aha what?"  
  
"Oh, nothing." Evelyn said and turned back forward. Elise move her hand towards the ingnition again but hesitated. "Ev, I was wondering. If I joined the navy would you maybe like to too?" Elise asked quietly.  
  
Evelyn stopped. She turned and looked at Elise with a genuinely surprised look on her face. "I didn't think you would want me to." "Why not?"  
  
"I would have thought you would want to be out of my shadow and not be known as Evelyn's sister."  
  
"Well, I do but that doesn't make a difference. I don't want to go by myself and the navy just seems like it would be fun and I don't want you to miss it stuck here in Michigan." Evelyn was quiet for a moment. When she finally spoke again her words surprised Elise a little.  
  
"Just how far have you looked into this?"  
  
"I've gotten regestration forms."  
  
"Have you filled them out yet?"  
  
"No."  
  
"What if I told you that I would like to join the navy with you once you get your R.N.?"  
  
"I'd do this!" Elise reached over and hugged her sister. "Oh Evelyn we're going to have so much fun! You know the navy is making all nurses commissioned officers? We'll be ensigns. Oh there are so many swell places they can post us. I hope we go somewhere exciting like New York or San Diego." Evelyn listened to Elise's happy babbling all the way to work but she didn't mind at all. 'The navy!' Evelyn thought. 'Wait till the girls hear this!' Evelyn smiled and turned to the window to see trees quickly flashing past her. 'This is going to be interesting.' Evelyn's smiled widened into one like the Cheshire Cat's. 


	2. Elise is Seeing Green

Elise looked up at one of the beams in the ceiling. 'Why can't on of those bust loose and hit me on the head. I'm in a hospital in a room full of nurses and doctors. What harm could it do?' Elise thought bitterly. The hospital she and her sister were stationed at in Long Island was holding mass physicals for the army and navy. Elise was taking blood pressure and was not having a fun time of it. She looked around the room. 'Oh, well. I guess there could be worse places to be other than seeing a hundred men in their underwear.' Elise forced a smile as the next man walked up with his file.  
  
Evelyn was not having a grand ol' time herself. She was faced with the decision of passing or failing a man on his eye exam. He appeared to be dyslexic and Evelyn didn't know what to do. She was silently taking everything in his file into consideration when the head nurse came up.  
  
"Evelyn rotate to station two." Thinking she had nothing to loose she grabbed the stamp closest to her and stamped passed on the pilot's file. 'I hope I did the right thing.' Evelyn wondered as she walked to her next station.  
  
"Hi Martha. Hi Barbara."  
  
"Hi Elise. Are you joining us here in the wonderful world of inoculations?" Martha asked sarcastically.  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Well Martha. Elise is here now we can have a real party." Elise was forced to smile at her roommates' attitude towards their station.  
  
'Won't this be fun.' Elise thought as she picked up a needle.  
  
Once again Evelyn was faced with the cocky pilot. He wanted a date, which was apparent to her from the beginning. When her brought her father into it she was starting to wonder just what he was getting at. 'I don't think this one will be cocky a little while.' Evelyn stabbed the man with the needle proceeding to feign concern.  
  
A few feet away Elise was not exactly having a picnic herself. 'Let's see; today is December 3rd so that means that leave will start in a few weeks. I'm going to have to go into the city this weekend and start Christmas shopping.' Elise planned in her head. She was jolted back into reality when she heard a crash from her sister's direction. Elise looked over at Barbara and Martha who both had confused looks on their faces. Elise and Barbara walked to the other side of the small screen to see a man in a ball on the floor wailing.  
  
"Evelyn, whadya do to him?" Barbara demanded. "Evelyn, how many times did I tell you? You do not hit boys!" Elise joked.  
  
"I'll tell you guys about it later. I have to fix him up first." Evelyn pushed the two girls to the other side of the screen.  
  
"Well, what happened?" Martha said without letting Barbara or Elise talk first.  
  
"Oh shut up you gossipmonger." Barbara told her and headed back to work leaving Martha stare after her. "She didn't tell you anything did she?"  
After finishing dinner and helping clean up the girls were free to leave. A small group was gathered around Evelyn giggling over her story. Elise was standing next to her sister enjoying the story as much as her friends. That was when Evelyn was called away by the same pilot who now had his nose bandaged.  
  
"Are you okay?" Evelyn asked suddenly feeling guilty that she had caused him pain.  
  
"Oh I'm fine this is just a standard precautionary thing."  
  
"Come on guys, let's go." Elise whispered as she hurried down the stairs, the rest following. When they were out of earshot they all seemed to talk at once, everyone except for Elise that is. "Oh did you see him? He sure was good looking!" Betty announced to the rest.  
  
Just as they turned the corner towards home Elise looked back around the corner and saw her sister lean down and kiss the pilot. For the first time in a long while a pang of jealousy struck through Elise's heart and the green eyed monster took control of her mind. "I don't see what's so great about him. What about the boy you've been seeing Sandra?"  
  
"I only went out with him once. It was a blind date; I don't think I'll go out with him again. He was not much of a conversationalist." Satisfied that the subject had changed Elise happily continued on the walk home. 


	3. All Together Now

Evelyn and Rafe had been seeing a lot of each other lately. Evelyn was constantly coming home late from work, which the girls knew could only mean one thing. No matter how late it was when Evelyn got home from a date the girls always demanded to know what had happened before letting Evelyn go to bed.  
  
The rest of the girls did date around with other pilots, sailors, soldiers, and marines that they had met but none of them liked anyone they had met yet. They were constantly bugging Evelyn as to when they were going to get to meet Rafe and his friends. It was the "friends" part that they were more concerned about of course.  
  
Evelyn had gone out with Rafe on a Sunday one week in the middle of December. She came home in a very good mood and the news of leave for Christmas made her even happier.  
  
But that wasn't the thing she was happy about. She and Rafe had thought of something that day. Evelyn took off her coat and gloves to go find Elise. Elise was sitting at the kitchen table writing letters. She looked up when she heard someone coming. Elise looked up to see Evelyn with a huge smile on her face. That made her stop writing completely because something was definitely up.  
  
"Yes?" Elise asked.  
  
"Lise, Rafe and I have decided that you and his best friend Danny are going to go out."  
Little did the girls know that Danny was hearing the same news.  
  
He was working on his plane when Rafe yelled at him from across the hanger.  
  
"Hey Danny. I got news."  
  
"What is it Rafe?"  
  
"Evelyn and I have set you up with Evelyn's little sister."  
"Evelyn, you what?"  
"Rafe, you what?" unknown to all of them Elise and Danny said that at exactly the same time.  
"Elise, he's really sweet. I've met him. No warts, horns, or extra eyes. I know you don't like blind dates but give Danny a chance. You'll like him. Promise."  
  
"Scouts honor?"  
  
"Scouts honor."  
"Come on Danny, This is Evelyn's little sister. They're a lot alike. You like Evelyn remember? Who's to say you won't like Elise."  
  
"All right I'll do it. But if I don't like her it's not my fault if Evelyn breaks up with you because of that.  
  
"Great. I'll tell Evelyn. By the way, you're meeting her on Friday at that coffee shop a block away from base."  
"You're meeting him Friday at that coffee shop by Mitchell Field that I told you about."  
  
"Thanks for telling me so far in advance Ev." Elise said with added sarcasm.  
  
"Anytime!" Evelyn yells while she's talking to Rafe on the phone.  
  
Elise went back to reading her magazine.  
  
"I wonder what he's like." She whispers.  
Danny climbed back up the ladder and started to work on his plane again. He pauses and whispers, "I wonder what she's like." 


	4. A Southern Gentleman

Elise was frantically trying to get ready. She wanted all the help she could get, but five girls helping you and not helping you at the same time did not mean anything good for Elise. It took her an hour to get ready.  
  
Danny, on the other hand, was just as bad. Most of the guys weren't paying attention to Rafe and Danny constantly walking in and out of the bathroom they started to get annoyed. Then when they saw Danny in his dress uniform they started getting extra suspicious.  
  
"Danny's got a date!" Anthony started singing.  
  
"Is that a bad thing? I have dates too ya know." Rafe said to him sounding a little fed up.  
  
"Yeah. Rafe's right. We should get off Danny's case you guys." Red said to the rest of them.  
  
"Thank you so much Red." Danny said his voice muffled. But that is what happens when you're under your bed looking for your good shoes. Amazingly he was able to leave with out anymore snide remarks from Anthony or from anyone else.  
  
Elise was sitting in a booth at the café. She was getting very bored which said to her in plain English that she was probably stood up. Elise looked at the menu again but slammed it down on the table in frustration. She started drumming her fingers and looked at the clock hanging on the far wall again. It was six forty five. Danny was supposed to meet her there at six thirty.  
  
"Evelyn is going to pay for this." Elise muttered under her breath.  
  
Elise sighed and took her compact out of her purse. She was observing the way she looked if her head was turned all the way to the left. Elise looked up suddenly when she heard the bell above the door tinkle. She quickly closed her compact and shoved it in her purse embarrassed that someone might have seen her. Elise saw a man in an Army uniform, a dark olive green color, taking off his hat and looking around for someone. She noticed that it was the man that Evelyn had described to her. It was Danny.  
  
Danny must have noticed Elise because he walked to the booth and sat across from Elise. "Sorry I'm so late," he started, " it started snowing pretty hard right after I left the barracks."  
  
"That's okay. But did you say it was snowing?"  
  
"Yeah, really hard." Danny answered.  
  
Elise maneuvered herself to look out the nearest window. Sure enough, it was snowing. And boy, was it coming down!  
  
"I hope we don't get snowed in." Elise said as she sat back again.  
  
"There are worst places we could be."  
  
"That's true. At least we wouldn't have to worry about going hungry here." Elise said in an effort to lighten the mood. It didn't work at all.  
  
The silence was getting to Danny. Elise was the last one to talk so he knew it was up to him to say something. Elise was staring out the window watching the headlights of cars through the thick snow when Danny said something.  
  
"Were winters like this in Michigan?" he asked. Elise's head snapped back and she smile at him as she spoke.  
  
"They were worse. Unfortunately, Michigan is so far north that we get a lot of snow from at least November to March. Sometimes there are snowstorms in April. Evelyn's told me that I was born during an April blizzard."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah. Apparently it started snowing really, really hard right after my parents got to the hospital. I don't know how Evie remembers that seeing as she was only one and a half when I was born."  
  
"You two seem pretty close from what Rafe has told me."  
  
"We are when we're not mad at each other. Evelyn's told me that you and Rafe are like brothers."  
  
"We are. After my dad died I no place else to go. Rafe's parents took me home with them after the funeral and I never left." Danny said avoiding telling anything about how his father died and what was the cause. Fortunately, Elise dropped the subject thinking he was probably a little sensitive about the matter of his father dieing when he was a kid.  
  
The conversation was easier to get going after that and they started talking about a lot of things. School, friends back home, movies, books, and above all else, why they joined the military.  
  
"I joined because my aunt was a nurse in the Great War. She always told Evie and me stories about it whenever we were at her house. It inspired the both of us I guess because we both decided to become nurses and join the navy just like our Aunt June. What about you? Why did you join the army?" Elise asked Danny as she sipped her coffee.  
  
"Rafe's dad owned a crop dusting business and he and I always wanted to fly planes like Rafe's daddy. We had this airplane we built out of wood and other things we could find that could be used on our "plane". We used to pretend we were shooting Germans. A few years later he taught me how to fly and the army was always the only we could fly and do what we wanted to do as kids. As far as we saw it at least."  
  
Around eight the place was almost deserted and near closing. In mid sentence Elise looked outside the window and found it had snowed and was still snowing more then she thought. Danny followed her gaze.  
  
"Wow. That's some snow." The latter said.  
  
"Yeah, you could say that again."  
  
"If you're going to get back to your quarters tonight maybe we should go now before it gets worse." Danny suggested.  
  
"That would be a good idea." Elise said while taking her coat off the bench from next to her. Seeing that she struggling to get into her heavy winter coat, Danny got up to help her. Elise smiled at him as he put on his own coat and hat as she put on her gloves and tightened her scarf around her neck.  
  
Danny opened the door for her and the bell above it tinkled like it did when they came in.  
  
"Jeepers, it's cold!" Elise yelled whiled she shoved her hands as far into her pockets as they could go.  
  
"How cold do you think it is?" Danny asked her while they were walking to the corner.  
  
"Probably. . . below zero I'd say." Elise stopped underneath the streetlight. Danny hailed a taxi for her. He opened the door to let her in but before he closed it he asked her a question. "Do you think we could do this again sometime?" Danny asked nervously.  
  
"Yes, of course. I had a great time tonight Danny."  
  
"Me too Elise," then he said to the driver, "the naval base."  
  
"Goodnight Danny." Elise said as the last bit of snow swirled inside the taxi.  
  
"Goodnight Elise." Danny said as he shut the cab door. As she left down the street Elise turned to look at Danny standing underneath the streetlight hailing himself a cab back to Mitchell Field. Elise turned back forwards settling into her seat mentally screaming at herself for not being the one to suggest doing that again.  
  
In his own cab going the other direction down the same street, Danny was planning their next date while he looked out the window at the snow. 


	5. The Double Date

Sorry for the long delay. I've been pretty busy lately. So without further ado we will return to Sisters (I shortened the title)  
  
Elise and Danny happily continued dating for two more weeks, or that is until Rafe came up with the double date idea.  
  
"Hey Danny?" Rafe yelled from the wing of his plane.  
  
"Yeah?" came the answer.  
  
"Danny, I've been thinking-"  
  
"Wow, Rafe! You were actually thinkin'?"  
  
"Ha-ha. What I was going to say was I think we should take the girls out on a double date this Friday."  
  
"That'd be fine. I like the idea." Danny said as he walked over to Rafe's plane.  
  
"You just wish you thought of it first." Rafe joked as he threw a rag at Danny.  
  
"Do not." Danny threw the rage back.  
  
Evelyn was walking back to her quarters from work. It was a nice day, or at least as nice as a day could be in December, and Evelyn was enjoying the fresh air. She walked down the sidewalk hearing her shoes click on the sidewalk below her and looking down every now and then to avoid patches of ice. Work had been rather uneventful and Evelyn was looking forward to a livelier bunch at home. As her pace quickened the wheels began turning in her head. Evelyn looked across the street to see a couple walking parallel to her. Another couple followed right behind them and walked into a little diner. In the cold air Evelyn saw her breath as she spoke, "A double date!"  
  
Ensign Betty Bayer heard the phone ring and hurried out into the living room to answer it. She picked up the receiver carefully so she wouldn't smudge the fresh coat of nail polish. "Hello?" she answered hoping she didn't sound out of breath.  
  
"Hello, is Evelyn there?" A southern drawl inquired.  
  
"No, I'm sorry she's not. Would you like to leave a message?" There was a pause as Betty waited for an answer while scanning the room for paper and pen.  
  
"No," finally came the slow unsure answer, "No, I don't think so."  
  
"Are you sure? She should be getting home soon." "Well, all right. . . I guess I'll wait." Came the reply and Betty wondered just whom this mystery man on the phone could be.  
  
"Okay," Betty said while looking around the room for an idea for conversation. That was when Elise walked into the room.  
  
"Hi Betty." Elise said while she plopped into an overstuffed lounge chair and leaned over to turn on the radio switching the dials through the static until she found what she was looking for. Sounds of big band weaved its way slowly through the living room and back to the kitchen and bedrooms until the rest of the nurses slowly made their way to join their friends in listening to the radio.  
  
"Oh, hi Elise." Betty answered not even bothering to cover the phone.  
  
"Did you say Elise was there?" Betty faintly heard through the telephone receiver.  
  
"Yes." Betty answered quickly.  
  
"Can you put her on?" the voice questioned.  
  
"Okay." Betty replied confused. "Elise, phone." Betty extending her arm to hand to phone to Elise.  
  
"Hello?" greeted Elise.  
  
"Hi Elise. I don't think you've ever met me but I know you know who I am."  
  
"So who are you?" Elise asked politely.  
  
"This is Rafe McCawley." Elise wrinkled her forehead in confusion but then suddenly remembered her sister's beau.  
  
"Oh hi Rafe."  
  
"Hi Elise." An awkward silence followed.  
  
"Listen, Danny and I were talking earlier and we came up with an idea. We were wondering if you and your sister could come with us to dinner this Friday?"  
  
"You mean like a double date." Elise confirmed rather than questioned.  
  
"Yes, like a double date." Rafe answered and Elise swore she heard Danny laughing in the background.  
  
"That sounds fine. I just hope Evelyn doesn't have to work."  
  
"Me too." Rafe quickly answered.  
  
"So when?" Elise questioned.  
  
"What do you mean when?" Rafe asked impatiently. Once again Elise heard Danny laughing in the background and then she heard, "Let me talk to her Rafe." Elise smiled when she heard that.  
  
"Hi Elise, sorry about that."  
  
"Hi Danny, it's fine."  
  
"Now to answer your question, is seven o'clock fine?"  
  
"Yes, it is."  
  
"So. . . I guess we'll see you then?"  
  
"Yes, goodnight Danny."  
  
"Goodnight Elise." Danny said and hung up the phone. At the air base Danny turned to Rafe laughing. "You really need to improve your patience if you ever hope to get married McCawley."  
  
"Shut up Danny." Rafe said and turned on his heel back towards the Bachelor Officers' Quarters.  
  
"What do you mean when?" Danny mocked as he followed Rafe.  
  
"Danny shut up before I smack you into Kingdom Come."  
  
"Irritable aren't we?"  
  
Evelyn flung open the front door bringing in a blast of cold air in with her.  
  
"Elise I have a great idea. We should go on a double date with Rafe and Danny." Evelyn said happily.  
  
"You're too late Evelyn. Rafe already called suggesting the same thing. We're going to dinner with the two of them Friday at seven." Elise said in a bored tone without looking up from her knitting.  
  
"How come people always think of things before me?" Evelyn asked while crossing the room to sit down.  
  
"Because the world is out to get you." Barbara said while flipping through a magazine.  
  
"I think that was a rhetorical question Barbara." Martha answered.  
  
"Oh, right."  
  
Friday evening was a night of excitement among the nurses. Elise was ready early, the way it always was. Evelyn on the other hand, was still getting ready when seven o'clock rolled around.  
  
"Come on Ev, get a move on!" Elise yelled from outside the bathroom door.  
  
"All right! All right! Don't snap your cap I'll be out in a minute!" came the muffled reply from behind the door.  
  
"Don't snap your cap she says! She knows how much I hate to be late! And the boys will think we stood them up if we're any later! By now we're not going to get there until seven fifteen at least!" a flustered Elise said to Sandra standing next to her.  
  
"Calm down Elise. This isn't worth getting all worked up about." Sandra said in an unsuccessful effort to calm Elise down.  
  
"Evelyn! Get out of there now or I'm coming in!"  
  
"Patience is a virtue dear sister." Evelyn coolly asked while fluffing her curls.  
  
"I don't understand how she can be acting so cool about this!" Elise complained to Sandra.  
  
"Elise take a deep breath. Count to ten."  
  
"I can't believe her! I warn her we need to leave soon nearly fifteen minutes ago and she doesn't care!" Elise walked out into the kitchen and threw herself into a chair.  
  
"Okay, I'm ready. Let's go." Evelyn announced while putting her coat on.  
  
"Finally!" Elise jumped out of her chair.  
  
At the air base Rafe stood in front of the mirror readjusting his tie. Danny stood at the mirror opposite combing his hair.  
  
"Danny, once Doolittle hears what I did I'm cooked." Rafe said without any concern in his voice, which surprised Danny.  
  
"Well, let's just hope we get out of hear before he finds you."  
  
"What are we going to tell the girls if we don't?" Rafe spun around to look at Danny.  
  
"We'll figure that out later." Danny replied brushing a piece of lint off his uniform. He walked over to a bench to retie his shoes. Rafe walked over with him and sat down next to him.  
  
"Hey McCawley," Billy said sticking his head through the doorway, "you better hightail it over to Doolittle's office. He just found out about your outside loop."  
  
"I was waiting for that." Rafe mumbled picking his hat up and walking past the smirking Billy. Danny followed wondering what he should do about the girls. 


	6. Waiting Ever So Impatiently

I found out that the spacing in all the chapters is screwed up, which explains why some things may have been confusing in earlier chapters. I am trying to see if I came up with a good solution or not in here.  
Evelyn drummed her fingers against the table leaning her head against her hand. Elise was sitting back, her legs stretched out in front of her and her arms crossed. Neither of them had very amused looks on their faces.  
  
"Do you think. . ." Evelyn started to say but stopped mid sentence.  
  
"What?" Elise asked.  
  
"Nothing." Evelyn returned to drumming her fingers. Rafe and Danny were thirty minutes late.  
  
"Do you think we ever did anything to them that made them stand us up?" Elise asked slowly.  
  
"No, they're not like that. I'm sure there is a good reason as to why they are not here." Evelyn answered.  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Well, they could have car trouble."  
  
"They don't have a car."  
  
"They could be stuck at work."  
  
"They would have called by now."  
  
"Rafe could have gotten in trouble."  
  
"Now that makes sense, but, they still would have called by now."  
  
"Are we at the right place?" Evelyn asked.  
  
"Yup. Let's face it we were stood up." Elise said in a defeated tone.  
  
"Have some faith Elise."  
  
"No thanks, I have enough." It was quiet between them. Elise looked at her watch for what seemed like the millionth time since they had gotten there a few minutes after seven. It read seven thirty-five. 'So much for hurrying to get here.' Elise thought. She looked at her watched again to see if the hands move but they hadn't. It was still seven thirty-five.  
  
"Are you ladies sure you would not like to order?" The waiter came up an asked. Elise looked at Evelyn.  
  
"Ev, we should probably at least order something to drink."  
  
"All right. I'll have coffee." Evelyn answered.  
  
"Me too." Elise answered. She waited until the waiter was out of earshot before she spoke again. "This way they can't make us leave. We're paying customers."  
  
"Good idea." Evelyn answered and concentrated on organizing the sugar packets sitting on the table. Elise just stared out the window.  
  
*  
  
Rafe was getting grilled by Doolittle. Danny was sitting on the bench outside the office and the door was closed. There was no need to eavesdrop. Danny could hear everything being said perfectly. He heard one of Rafe's smart remarks.  
  
"Well sir, I wanted to show my skills to the rest of the pilots and inspire them to work harder to become better pilots. With everything that's going on in Europe we could be needed at any time and we have to be ready to fight and to win."  
  
'He just wanted to show off.' Danny thought with a smirk.  
  
"Why do you think I recommended you out of all the pilots on this base for the Eagle Squadron?" Came Major Doolittle's unmistakable voice from the other side of the door. Danny was smiling to himself when his eyes fell on the clock on the wall. The smile faded from his face until it was deadpan. He quickly pulled back his sleeve to make sure he saw it right. Both clock and watch said seven forty. "We're in trouble." Danny said as he got up in search of a phone.  
  
*  
  
Elise absently stirred he coffee staring off into space. Evelyn was silently sipping her coffee. Both girls heard a phone ring somewhere in the restaurant but paid no attention. It wasn't until the hostess came over and tapped Evelyn on the arm that they were jerked back to reality.  
  
"Ensign Johnson?"  
  
"Yes?" Both Evelyn and Elise replied quickly. The hostess smiled.  
  
"You have a phone call."  
  
"Did they say who it was?" Evelyn asked.  
  
"Someone named Walker from Mitchell Field." The hostess replied hoping that would help. Evelyn raised an eyebrow as she looked at Elise.  
  
"I'll go." Elise announced as she got up from the table and followed the hostess to the front of the restaurant. She picked up the phone off the cradle without even saying hello.  
  
"Where the hell are you?" Elise asked impatiently.  
  
"Well that's a fine how do you do!" Danny replied.  
  
"Well?" Elise asked waiting for an answer.  
  
"Rafe got in trouble and is in Doolittle's office." Danny put it simply.  
  
"Evelyn was right. Shoot, I owe her a dollar." She heard Danny laugh.  
  
"I'm going to see if I can flag Rafe down and tell him I'm leaving. I should be there soon."  
  
"Finally!"  
  
"I'm sorry you two were waiting for so long." Danny apologized.  
  
"It's not your fault. It's Rafe's. He's the one who got in trouble."  
  
"Elise you're mean!"  
  
"Well when you're the youngest in your family you learn to be mean. Bye Danny."  
  
"Bye Elise." They hung up and Elise walked back to the waiting Evelyn.  
  
"Well?" Evelyn asked impatiently.  
  
"Rafe got in trouble and is in Doolittle's office."  
  
"Ahem?" Evelyn stuck out her hand.  
  
"Oh all right." Elise dug in her purse and handed Evelyn a dollar.  
  
"It's been a pleasure doing business with you." Evelyn said with a smile plastered on her face. "Oh shut up Evelyn."  
  
*  
  
Danny stood in front of Doolittle's office trying to muster up the courage to go in. He had been standing there for a few minutes but had not done anything. He sighed and blinked a few times before he turned to Doolittle's secretary.  
  
"Excuse me, when Lieutenant McCawley comes out can you tell him that Lieutenant Walker left for the restaurant."  
  
"Yes, I will." The secretary replied pulling out a pad of paper and writing the message down.  
  
"Thanks." Danny said and played with his hat for a second before heading out to leave for the restaurant. At the door he still heard Doolittle yelling at Rafe. "He never learns." Danny laughed to himself. 


	7. Of Washclothes and New Friends

A/N: I have finally updated! I can't take credit for some of my more clever (or so I think) ideas in this chapter. I believe the idea of having a washcloth for an imaginary friend was from Full House but I am not exactly sure. It came from somewhere.

The idea of Elise thinking that she is just ever so smart because she skipped a grade is based on my father and his attitude to the fact that he skipped the third grade.  
  
Danny heard the bell above the door tinkle as he walked in and the sound caused the two very girls he was looking for to turn and glare at him.  
  
He walked up to them pulled out a chair and took off his hat. "Hello there, ladies."  
  
"Hi Danny," Evelyn said politely while she moved the spoon in her coffee cup around.  
  
"Hi Ev. Elise." He nodded his head in her direction. She gave him back a sort of half smile half scowl that Evelyn had taken to calling "Elise is angry and wants to kill you" look. Danny held back a laugh. She looked too darn cute like that.  
  
"Hello to you too Elise. How has your day been?"  
  
"Oh, just peachy." She replied sarcastically.  
  
"That's good to hear."  
  
"Did you tell Rafe you left?" Evelyn asked.  
  
"No, Doolittle still has him in his office I think. I left a message with his secretary."  
  
"Oh." Evelyn said and went back to stirring her coffee. A waitress soon swooped down on them telling Danny of all the daily specials and how the special of the day was smoked salmon, but Danny would just like some coffee, thank you.  
  
The three sat in silence for a few minutes as Danny waited for his coffee. As he sat he studied each sister. While Evelyn was sitting staring into her coffee and obviously day dreaming, Elise was sulking, or so it looked. He just shook his head.  
  
"Well, girls, the conversation here has been absolutely stimulating. Please Elise, do tell, what is the gossip around the hospital these days?" Danny said, trying to be funny and make her laugh or at least say something.  
  
"Oh, nothing much is up. It's all the same." She sighed. All right then, Danny thought. She's not sulking.  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that. Is it just not entertaining you anymore?" He sipped his coffee only to find that it was burning hot. "Ow." He said sounding as if he had a wad of cotton in his mouth. "That... really...hurt."  
  
Elise laughed. "I was going to warn you but then I realized it would be much more fun to watch you suffer."  
  
"Elise you are really mean!"  
  
"I always thought Elise was a bit of a sadist," Evelyn said coming back to join them.  
  
"Oh, was she one of those kids who had a magnifying glass and burnt ants with it?"  
  
"No, fortunately she is not that mean."  
  
"That's right. I'm not. I am sadistic but only to Evelyn and other select people."  
  
"But you are mean. I should know. What you said to me on the phone," Danny whistled. "You sure were mean to Rafe."  
  
"Yeah, well. What can I say?"  
  
"You can apologize for one thing. I don't know what you said about me but it must have been bad and we can't have you going and ruining my reputation can we?" Rafe asked finally joining them.  
  
"You've never had to worry about your reputation. Why start now?" Danny laughed.  
  
"Hey Danny."  
  
"Rafe."  
  
"Hi Evelyn." His eyes drifted over to Elise. "And you must be the infamous Elise. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."  
  
"Well, that's quite all right." She said as she shook his hand and gave Danny a look that clearly said "see, I can be nice. Ha!"  
  
As Rafe settled into the chair between Danny and Evelyn he continued to talk to Elise. "Elise you really do look like Evelyn."  
  
"Yeah, people say that all the time."  
  
"Well, you do."  
  
"But their personalities are completely different," Danny put in. "Elise is very sarcastic but can turn all sweet and innocent in a second."  
  
"I caught the tail end of your conversation and it seems like the two of you are probably a nice contrast to each other."  
  
"We like to think so," Evelyn said. "Despite her sarcastic ways I still like her." Evelyn bumped Elise in the shoulder with hers.  
  
"Hey!" Elise poked her back.  
  
"All we need now is for you to yell how I'm abusing you in that whiny voice you had when you were six."  
  
"Well, you were abusing me. I distinctly recall sitting quietly in the kitchen one day minding my own business and playing with my paper dolls when all of the sudden Ev here comes back from a Brownie meeting and starts poking me all over telling me I'm in her chair and I need to move. You poked me so hard I had bruises the next day!"  
  
"I did not." Evelyn argued.  
  
"Oh, you did."  
  
"You were the one who had that imaginary friend. Soapy the washcloth."  
  
"Soapy the washcloth?" Rafe echoed.  
  
"Yes," Evelyn grinned. "He had his own seat at the dinner table and in the living room and Elise would throw a fit if anyone sat on him."  
  
"And Dad did it all the time."  
  
"I think he started to do it on purpose."  
  
"Probably. That would be Dad."  
  
"Soapy the washcloth." Rafe was still laughing. "Elise either you were a very strange child or you have a very interesting imagination."  
  
"I think I have a good imagination. Sister Dolores told me in the first grade that I was very precocious. I didn't know what that meant at the time; let alone how to say it, but Sister Dolores bumped me up to the third grade the next year."  
  
"Yeah, Elise is still convinced that she is a genius just because she skipped the second grade." Evelyn smiled at her sister.  
  
"Oh shut up Ev! You were just as bad as I was when you were in high school Miss 'I made the A honor roll'."  
  
"So we're both geniuses. If you will stop talking maybe we can talk about something else?"  
  
"Fine." Elise said pretending to be exasperated.  
  
The rest of the evening went on quite well, they all agreed. Despite the fact that it started off badly when Rafe was well over an hour late, they all got along quite well and Elise and Rafe spent much of the evening ribbing each other. "I think that we are both going out with the wrong people, Evelyn." Danny remarked at one point in the evening when the ribbing was at its worst. It was highly entertaining to Danny and Evelyn, it must have been more so to Rafe and Elise because Elise could barely stand for more than a minute without bursting out laughing.  
  
"I do believe you are right Danny." Evelyn answered.  
  
They were all friends. That is what mattered. 


End file.
